Pseudophedrine buyers targeted in meth cases

Tuesday

Feb 12, 2013 at 11:43 AMFeb 12, 2013 at 11:43 AM

By Don Reid

dwreid@aol.comCOLDWATER — The message is out.Branch County "is not the place to cook meth," county Prosecutor Ralph Kimble said.While the newly-elected Kimble said there is not a policy or guidelines, his office has started charging those who purchase pseudophedrine, the main ingredient in home cooking the illegal drug, with possession of meth lab components, a 20-year felony."We want those who buy the main ingredient to get the picture," Kimble said.Called "smurfers" by those in the meth culture, people who sign the drug log to buy the over-the-counter head cold remedy often sell the box of tablets for $50 to those who know how to illegally make meth in plastic liter soft drink bottles. Others trade the pseudophedrine for some of the finished product for their own use.Christopher Shaffer, 21, of Union City faces 20-year meth lab charges. Now in the Branch County Jail, he is charged with participating in a meth lab. He was a passenger in a car in Coldwater on Nov. 2 that was stopped for a traffic violation.He had a package of the drug in his possession at the time.Computer records showed he had purchased 20 boxes of pseudophedrine since 2010.Branch County Circuit Judge Bill O’Grady noted without the pseudophedrine "all you have is acid and fuel" used in the chemical process which can cause explosions.In January last year Michigan legislators restricted over-the-counter sales of products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to people at least 18 years old.Retailers must monitor the products and keep records of purchases in written or electronic logs of sales, including the name and address of purchasers and the date and quantity of the sale.The law prohibits a person from purchasing more than 3.6 grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine within one day, or more than nine grams within 30 days. It is a misdemeanor to purchase more.Brian Dirrin, 35, of Angola, Ind. will face charges after his arrest Jan. 21. He tried to purchase pseudophedrine twice in the same day at two different drug stores. Computer checks flagged him and Coldwater Police stopped him. Other meth lab components were found in his car.There were already warrants for Dirrin’s arrest indicating he had purchased more than the allowed amounts In June and August in Branch County. He will also face those one-year misdemeanor charges.